The Pony Who Defied Time
by Dr.Cruxis962
Summary: Dr. Whooves, a time traveling pony decides to write a journal about his adventures, armed only by his wits, his new partner, and his limited abilities over time. What stories will this journal hold?
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to our story, we would greatly appreciate if you would leave advice. If commenting on a spelling error or grammatical error please be specific as I would like to correct it as soon as possible. If commenting on the story please tell me why you like it or dislike it.

~Thanks

Written by Umbrae Cruxis & DrStupid962

Chapter 1: The Battle Between the Sun and its Mirror

Dear whoever cares,

My name was Whoover Mane, but I have become known simply as Doctor Whooves. So much pain and suffering I witnessed over the last few years. It's hard for me to believe that after everything that has happened I can still crack a smile. What's the point of this journal? A friend told me that it may help me deal with what happened. From obtaining my new assistant to facing the disaster, this is my story...  
>-<p>

Our steps were in synch. I occasionally took a look back to see a pony following me. Today is turning out to be a very bad day was my first thought, as the pony was gaining ground on me. I stopped abruptly and turned to face her.

"Could you just forget what you saw..., that would make things so much easier." I felt my voice cracking with desperation. More than anything I wanted to find a calm place to forget what had just happened.

"Just tell me how you suddenly appeared out of nowhere!" she pestered, while keeping my steadily increasing pace.

Rookie mistake was my first thought. Stupid chance brought this mare to the same pasture at the exact second I appeared in the TARDIS. I exhaled a sigh which she took as a response.

"Fine, don't tell me!" she pouted with a small scowl on her face. I turned to face her; she was a unicorn, and she looked just a couple of years younger than me. She sported a dark blue coat with a mane and tail half white and half blue.

She stared back at me waiting for an answer. "Well... wasn't planning on it, but it's nice to know I don't have to be rude to avoid telling you" I yawned as I started walking past her.

"At least tell me your name!" she yelled, as she ran after me.

"I'm the Doctor" I said with a smile at her confused face.

"Who?" she asked confused.

"Whooves" I corrected with a grin at her face.

"Wha~?" She asked, looking at me puzzled.

"I am Doctor Whooves, or simply The Doctor" I said with a knowing smile.

She looked at me strangely for a second, "My name is Colgate," she stated introducing herself.

"Good for you" I yawned, walking further on ahead. Ahead of me I saw the entrance to a small town.

"Why are you going to Ponyville?" Colgate asked from behind me finally changing the subject.

"I needed a vacation" I replied. 'I don't think I've been to Ponyville yet...' I thought to myself.

"Vacation from what?" she asked quizzically.

"Everything" I laughed.

We walked in silence shortly after my remark.

"You have an interesting cutie mark. How did you get it?" Colgate noted trying to drum up a conversation.

"You know... just because two ponies aren't talking; that doesn't necessarily mean it's an awkward silence" I sighed, continuing at a constant pace.

"Really? Because this sure feels like an awkward silence" she said, with a tone of annoyance.

"Not my point" I said proudly, as the small stores and houses of the village came in to view.

She stared at me strangely, "then what was your point?" she asked.

"Don't think I had one" I laughed.

"You're almost as weird as Pinkie Pie" Colgate noted, as she shook her head.

"You know some say that there is a thin line between being insane and being a genius?" I said, my voice not wavering.

"So you consider yourself a genius then?" she said with a puzzled look.

"No, I think I'm insane, but again that's not the point." I replied.

"What is your point then?" she yelled at me, getting impatient.

"What is your cutie mark then?" I asked with a slight yawn. For a second I wondered if I just thought the words and I turned around to see Colgate turning away with a small blush in her face. I hadn't noticed it before but she had no cutie mark on her flank.

"I- uh I don't have a cutie mark" she said embarrassed.

"There is nothing wrong with that. Some people just don't figure out what they're meant to do as early as other ponies" I said looking back at her.

"... I know but I wish I would figure it out sooner." She told me looking away from me. I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at her embarrassed face. Another thing to add to the list of regrets... made a girl upset, I thought to myself.

"Do you know where they sell any good food?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

Her eyes showed relief at the change of topic and then she smiled happily. "Sugar Cube Corner is toward this entrance of Ponyville; they have really good desserts." Colgate said as she picked up the pace to lead me there.

The town was rather quaint. It held many building none over two stories, and for the most part they were just residential houses. "Boring little town isn't it?" I voiced happily as I walked behind Colgate.

"You shouldn't say that" she said with an annoyed look.

"Was it rude?" I asked sincerely.

She nodded with a sigh before leading me to a two-story house that held a sign over it simply saying: 'Sugar Cube Corner.' she opened the door revealing a smell that instantly made my mouth water.

"This is the best place to get sweets in Ponyville!" She stated proudly as the smells of freshly baked cupcakes seem to agree with her.

I looked around the shop, behind the counter there were two ponies; one was a bubble gum pink pony and behind her was a cyan colored pony that had a rose colored mane. The pink pony took a glance toward me and then gave a big "GASP!" She covered her mouth and then jumped over the counter and ran past me out the door. I gave Colgate a look and she shrugged as if that would explain everything.

I walked over to the counter where the cupcakes were held, and Colgate came up beside me. The cyan pony, who was manning the counter, was distracted by the sudden absence of her employee. "How many cupcakes are you going to buy?" Colgate asked me.

I knew I was forgetting something' I thought to myself. Forget money, yeah you're the best traveler ever. My mind thought sarcastically. I sighed and walked over to a lone corner held in the back of the small store. "Sorry buddy, but it looks like you won't be getting any food right now" I sighed to the grumblings of my stomach.

Colgate walked up looking at me confusedly. "You're not going to get anything?" she asked me.

"I'm not that hungry," I am normally a decent liar, but the fact that my stomach grumbled as soon as I finished; made my last comment just that much less likely. She gave a small giggle at the circumstance and then skipped over to the counter. What are you doing? I thought to myself as the now sole pony behind the counter handed her a giant cupcake in exchange for some of Colgate's bits. Colgate's horn then began to glow, the cupcake raised, and she brought it over.

"Here" she said with a smile as she placed the cupcake in front of me. I looked at the cupcake on the plate like it was about to attack me.

"Why would you buy me a cupcake?" I asked, despite my stomach yelling at me to down it.

"Well I thought a cupcake would help your crappy mood" she replied with a small smile.

"I'm sure it's not good enough to cure a sarcastic personality" I joked with a smile, as I chowed down. "Close though" I mumbled, with the cupcake in my mouth. She gave a small laugh. She then gazed outside of the window that was next our table. Outside there were many ponies who were placing up banners and working on building projects. "What's going on?" I asked.

She looked at me like it should have been obvious. "It's the thousandth annual Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow!" she said starting to get a bit giddy.

My thoughts began to race; didn't something happen on the thousandth summer sun celebration? My mind echoed through me...Must not have been too important.

She stared outside, probably fantasizing about the celebration, "I wonder what the first one was like?" she said more to herself than to me.

That's still somewhere I haven't gone my mind rang through at that moment.

"So... Doctor, where were you planning on going after Ponyville?" she asked me with a curious look in her eyes.

"I think I'm going to head off to Canterlot" I said thinking about the TARDIS, and what calibrations would be needed for a thousand years in the past.

She looked at me a bit strangely. "Canterlot does seem like a nice place to go..." she ended her conversation off alluding to something more she wanted to say.

"What is it?" I asked seeing the strange look she was giving me.

"Why do I feel like you're strange?" she asked me her eyes narrowing. I gave a small laugh that simply said if only you knew. I started to walk toward the exit of the dessert store, and she followed close behind me waiting for an answer.

"I think I'm going to head off to Canterlot now, thank you so much for the cupcake" I confessed with sincerity as I started to walk away. After about fifteen feet of walking I turned around to see she wasn't following me this time, and only looking at me a bit abashed. However, she said nothing. I then stopped, and turned to face her and whispered in a voice that only she would barely hear; "You may find me strange, because I'm one of the few ponies, who time has no control over" After my response I simply trotted out of Ponyville.

The walk out of Ponyville and back to the meadow, where I had met Colgate, was much quicker this time around. I got to the large pasture that held many flowers of varying colors and in the middle of the field stood something completely out of place. In the middle of the pasture stood a blue telephone booth, normally a phone booth would never be found here, but this one was sitting here randomly in the pasture. I walked up to the entrance of the phone booth, and walked in. "Ah, home sweet home!" I yelled aloud as I entered what was called the TARDIS.

Time And Relative Dimension In Space or TARDIS for short, in laypony terms this machine was my pathway through time. I walked in to the phone booth; the first thing anyone notices about this particular machine is that it's much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. On the inside there was a pillar of controls which stood in the middle of an oval room. The room was particularly filled with circuits and wires extending from one side of the room to the other.

"Hm...One thousand years ago tomorrow would be when Luna was sent for her field trip" I said aloud not talking to anyone in particular. "This should produce some nice fireworks" I said thinking aloud again as I walked up to the pillar of circuits, switches, and gears. The pillar was highly complex with its hundreds of switches and knobs that only when activated by a pony with my abilities would the machine even move. I started hitting some of the switches and knobs until I had the exact minute set. "Allons-y!" I shouted aloud as the TARDIS began to shake violently.

"What's going on?" I heard shout from behind me. I turned my head in fear as behind me stood a deep blue pony with a half blue, half white mane and tail. It was Colgate; she had followed me... Lady Luck was having a ball with me today.

I was thrown to the ground by the violent shaking of the TARDIS. I saw Colgate grab on to some of the wires in an attempt to stay stationary. This was an excellent plan. Common sense had just left me at the time, so while she stood relatively still, I was being bounced around the walls like a tennis ball. Suddenly after a couple of minutes that felt like hours the tremor stopped, and the only thing that made me even think it had ever been there was the massive headache I was now facing. I got up to see a terrified Colgate looking back at me. "Well I can't say today won't be interesting." I complained.

"What just happened?" she practically yelled at me.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that you followed me here, distracted me in the most crucial point of taking off; which is holding on to something! Now we are 1000 years in the past, and I can't even enjoy it because I have a headache!" I yelled at her as I started to walk towards the entrance. "Honestly I could have been a murderer or something" I said still a bit pissed off.

"Are you?" She asked me.

"Am I what?" I asked her pacing trying to think of a way to solve this.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked with a straight face.

I looked at her or a second before saying "of course not..., but you still shouldn't follow random ponies " I said with a sigh, as I left the TARDIS. The area outside was anything but peaceful; trees were broken with limbs and trunks thrown everywhere. There was mass howling from animals, and thudding of their stampeding feet. I looked to the sky to see two alicorns up there. "Guess I didn't miss the fireworks" I said with a bit of excitement in my voice. I heard footsteps behind me as Colgate walked out of the TARDIS.

"Where are we?" she asked, obviously terrified at the new surroundings.

"Weren't you listening? I told you we are a thousand years in the past...Well technically nine hundred and ninety nine years, eleven months, thirty days." I told her.

"So it would be a thousand years if we stayed until tomorrow?" She asked me looking awkward, running the thought through her mind.

"Yes, but this is where the real fun is" I said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" she said to me as she looked at where I was looking.

"You ever heard of the story; 'The mare in the moon?' I asked her.

"That old pony tale?" She asked hesitant

"Well... maybe after this experience you'll think otherwise about it being a pony tale" I said, as I gestured to the black alicorn. Both alicorns that were in the sky were some of the most beautiful ponies that have ever graced Equestria. I looked at the ponies with excitement while Colgate looked at them with wonder. Then it started.

Luna, who was the black alicorn, rushed in to face Princess Celestia. There was a massive sonic boom at the start of Luna's rush which was ear popping. The rush ended in a tackle against Celestia. They started to tumble in the air a bit before Celestia's horn began to glow and a massive fireball appeared and was thrown at the black alicorn. "I should have made popcorn" I said aloud, engrossed in to the spectacle of two of the strongest ponies in Equestria duking it out.

Lunaquickly flew out of the path of the ball of flames. The fire flew over us elevating the temperature around us, making small beads of sweat form. "This is amazing!" I laughed aloud.

Luna, staring back at her sister, aimed her now glowing horn at her. Lighting immediately shot from her horn, with a cackling thunder ringing in my ears. Celestia dodged away from the lightning strike, which shined brightly across the sky. Celesta then faced Luna and flew at her with mach speed. The ponies collided in the air, quickly tumbling to the ground only a hundred or so yards away from us. A lightning shot out from one of the ponies setting a flame one of the trees nearby.

"What has happened to you?" Celestia screeched at her sister. They were both too engrossed in their battle to notice us on the other side of the pasture. Luna laughed at the white alicorn before shoving Celestia off of her. "You've already destroyed our home! Are you planning on killing me too?" Celestia screamed at the black alicorn.

"I plan more than that" Luna barked at her sister rage encircling the alicorn. Lightning shot from her horn hitting tops of trees instantly setting them aflame. The fire by the trees was now starting to spread creating a wall of flame that illuminated the tears on the white alicorn's face.

"Our home is destroyed..." Celestia said looking to the side of the mountain, where a castle which once stood proudly, was becoming engulfed in an orange flame. "Do you know how much death you caused? Please Luna... lets settle this... I don't want to lose you either" Celestia pleaded, holding back tears.

"It's all lies! You just want the power of this kingdom for yourself!" Luna yelled at Celestia before a strong gust started circling her. The gust kept on growing in strength before I realized a slight pulling on my hooves.

"Colgate?" I whispered to her, as the gust began to pull us.

"Ye-Yeah?" she whimpered as the tornado became stronger and stronger.

"Get back in the TARDIS!" I yelled to her.

"The what?" She cried as the tornado started to pick up lose trunks from previously destroyed trees. Before she could get to the phone booth, the wind picked both of us up and lifted us a few feet in the air.

"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!" I yelled as the wind threw us at some of the destroyed trees. Our hooves reached out, and we managed to catch hold of some of the broken limbs of a tree. I then looked at where the TARDIS was to see that the blue telephone booth, that represented our salvation was uplifted by the wind, and was now dancing in the wind about twenty feet up.

"I pick the best vacation spots" I mumbled sarcastically the wind started to peel us off the tree and was bringing us towards the eye, I saw above where Celestia was unaffected at all by this change. I turned to face Colgate.

"Colgate when I tell you to run, you run as fast as your legs can take you!" I shouted at her, I saw her give a small nod and already try to run in the wind. I closed my eyes, 'I can't even remember the last time I did this' was my first thought. A pocket watch appeared in my mind's eye and the pocket watch ticking started to slow, and then pocket watch simply stopped as if its battery had ran out. I opened my eyes to see a light emitting from my hourglass Cutie Mark. Then suddenly everything stopped...The wind that was holding us, the sound of the roaring tornado, the shrieking of the animals, everything just stopped.

"COLGATE RUN!" I yelled at her. She didn't need to be told twice; she rushed out of the small pasture and in to the trees with me following closely behind her.

"What's happening?" She yelled at me as we were running from the eye of the tornado.

"Do you want to know, or do you want to live?" I yelled at her as she swallowed any comment she was going to make. After half a minute of sprinting I found a tree that had been split open; most likely from an earlier attack.

"Colgate get in here" I said my words only coming out through panting. 'I need to hold out just a bit longer' I thought as I saw the light from my cutie mark begin to dim. Colgate rushed to the small opening inside the tree, and before I could follow her in to the tree my cutie mark had lost all light, and thus time began to start again. The wind felt strong and with me already tired, it easily grabbed hold of me and threw me in to one of the trees. My consciousness faded instantly.

My eyes started to flutter open, and I found myself inside of a cave. "You're finally awake!" I heard Colgate call to me. My eyes focused on the light blue unicorn. There was a fire just a few feet beside me that offered a bit of warmth to my coat... which was wet?

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse. Outside the cave there were sounds of thunder and a heavy downpour of rain hitting the ground.

"Well, when you hit the tree you were knocked out; I rushed out and brought you here." She said looking at the fire.

I stared out in to the rain, "I'm so sorry" I said facing away from her.

She looked at me a bit confused. "It's not your fault, I shouldn't have followed you into the phone booth" she said as she pawed the ground embarrassed.

"You're right, you shouldn't of, but I should have brought you back as soon as I realized you had come aboard, so I apologize for that."

"Well... it's fine... but could you tell me what's going on so I don't have my mouth open from shock through this whole trip" she said with a small smile. I gave a small laugh in response.

"Okay, fine, what do you want to know?" I asked her.

"First, we're in the past?" she asked me. I nodded in confirmation of her answer.

"We are almost exactly a thousand years in the past from your 'present,' today is the day that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fight, and it ends with Celestia winning and sealing her sister inside of the moon for a thousand years. I thought it would be fun to watch a battle between two of the strongest ponies in existence, but I didn't think it would turn out this way." I explained, my voice growing a bit shallower as I finished the comment.

"Wait you said sealed for a thousand years; does that mean she comes out after the thousand years... meaning tomorrow at the Summer Sun Celebration!" she asked me, putting the pieces together as the words were slipping out of her mouth.

Oh! That's what I was forgetting, good... I thought it was something important I thought to myself. "Yeah I do believe she's freed on that Summer Sun Celebration." I thought aloud.

Colgate most likely thinking of what just happened looked somber. "What's going too happened when she gets out?" she asked me with worried eyes.

"I wouldn't worry too much" I said to her. Maybe it was something in my voice but she instantly calmed down, and proceeded to the next question.

"Okay... what's the phone booth thingy" she asked me.

"Ah the TARDIS "I said aloud. "It's basically a time machine that can only be used by ponies similar to me."

"Ponies similar to you?" she asked me.

I gestured toward my flank where an hourglass stood. "This cutie mark represents that we are chosen to be a time lord." I looked back at her, and she had an awkward look about her. "You have earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and alicorns. We are called time lords, we are technically none of the last four categories; simply because we can do things that no pony else can." I finished.

"What can time lords do exactly?" she asked me, curiosity seeping out of her voice.

"We live much longer than regular ponies, we are typically built stronger than regular ponies, we can use the TARDIS to go through time, and we have a small ability which allows us to control time directly... to a certain extent." I said my voice starting to become rasp by the explanations.

"That's how you stopped time then?" she asked.

"More or less" I shrugged.

"That must be great to be a time lord, someone who can travel through time and see so much" she said with a smile spreading across her face.

"Not really, being a time lord you're not allowed to become anything else than a background pony. You can only subtly change the outcome from behind the scenes. You're never allowed to be on the front line." I said with resentment.

She nodded at my comment. "So... what do we do to get out of here?" she asked me.

"Well going against the two alicorns is a major no-no, since we'd be reduced to the very smallest atoms of ash. Our plan then, is to find the TARDIS and get out of here as fast as possible." I said as I got up, there was still a sharp pain in my head where I had hit the tree and I felt immensely tired from my time stopping stunt.

"You shouldn't try to get up" Colgate told me, letting me lean on her so I wouldn't fall.

I'm alive... that's more than enough reason to get up, I thought. "I need to move, we need to leave as soon as possible."

"Do we even know where the TARDIS is?" she asked me, as she started to snuff out the fire.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I don't think the wind carried it that far... so let's head back to the meadow and try to find it from there." I said aloud to her. She nodded behind me and stood ready.

The cave was built in to the base of a mountain which was about a mile away from the original meadow, where we had landed. The walk back was strangely quiet. The forest felt dead because of all the torn trees. The damage was catastrophic; many of the trees were visibly ripped from the ground, or were literally torn apart. The ground was the same way with major erosion, and small dips where the vicious attacks had carved out pieces of the ground. "This place looks so dead" Colgate commented as we walked through the woods.

"Well this is what a war causes," I said with a somber tone. She gave a small huff of agreement before silence enveloped us once more.

After another few minutes of silence, Colgate broke it with "What would I have to do to become a time lord?" I stopped in my tracks and stared at her.

"You don't want to be a time lord, it may look fun but you haven't seen the worse parts of being one" I said to her. She swung her head to the left and then to the right as if surveying the area.

"So this isn't bad to you?" she asked me with a surprised face.

"I've seen worse, and so would you if you became a time lord!" I said to her.

"I'm more efficient than you think" she pouted.

"I don't doubt your efficiency, but I don't think you would be able to cope with being a time lord."

After another few minutes of seeing destroyed landscaped we came back to our starting place. The pasture was barren, the grass was all dead, and parts of the ground were completely decimated. That wasn't what shocked me though, in truth I expected the area to be wiped out. However, in front of me was a white alicorn that everyone knew as Princess Celestia.

"I don't see this ending well" I said aloud as I walked out to the pasture with Colgate strutting right next to me.

"Hello" the princess said to us as we walked closer to her. "I thought I felt another presence when Luna and I were having our spat...I didn't think it would be a Time Lord though, my deepest condolences." she said referring to me.

"Don't fret your majesty, please excuse my presence in your time" I said to her as I bowed my head just a bit. Colgate mirrored my action as a sign of respect, even though it looked like she was shocked speechless from the encounter.

"Time lord; did I make the right decision...? Maybe I was too harsh on my sister..." Celestia began to say staring at the full moon that hung uncharacteristically low in the sky.

"I can't make that decision for you" I said with a somber note under my breath.

"How many Time Lords are left?" Celestia asked not even facing me anymore; only staring at the round moon in the sky.

"Around ten I believe" I said to the distressed pony.

"Ten ponies out of millions have the ability alone to destroy the world if they so pleased." she said this with a sad smile. "How can I be a good princess to my subjects when I can't even save my own sister?" She asked this, seeming to refer to the moon that hung in the sky.

"That's not true" I heard come from Colgate, Celestia and I both had looks of shock on our faces when we heard the mare talk. "You can't give up on being the leader simply because of one mistake. Nopony is perfect and that includes you. Everypony understands mistakes, it's the only thing that everypony has in common...You don't have to beat yourself up over a single mistake!" Colgate started out in a very small voice, but by the end of her monologue she was almost screaming the words at Celestia.

Celestia looked shock at the outburst that came from the light blue mare. After a full second of awkward silence she let out a soft laugh. "You are more knowledgeable than your age would lead ponies to believe." She said this with a smile. Colgate held a crimson blush on her face at the compliment. "Maybe you are right young mare; perhaps one day Luna and I will become on equal terms again, but for now I'll try not to 'beat myself up' over this somber outcome," she said with another sad smile. Colgate held a small frown on her at Celestia's response. "Time Lord, your vessel is just south of here, I managed to catch it during the storm; it should be only a minute or two trot from here." She said this last statement somberly. I responded with a nod as we began to walk away.

As we started to leave she took one last glance to us. "May I have your names before you leave?"

"My names' Colgate and this is the Doctor," Colgate said introducing us.

"Colgate I thank you for the things you said and I wish you an enriching life. Doctor... I wish you to know that not all Time Lords are on the 'straight and narrow,' more and more are becoming much more power hungry." She said, malice hitting the last few syllables. I understood immediately what her accusations were. She believed that one of the ten living time lords had caused Luna to go mad. I didn't blame her, the time lords weren't exactly the most peaceful kind of ponies as they once were.

The TARDIS was exactly where the princess had said it was. Despite being in the middle of a tornado, it looked as good as new. Colgate even brightened up at the some-what familiar telephone booth. As we started to walk closer to the booth I stopped suddenly, Colgate seeing this, stopped in front of me.

"You won't hear me say this too often, but I was wrong" I said embarrassed. She looked at me confused which I had now established as her trademark face.

"I want you to become my assistant" I said to her. "What you did back there was amazing, when I was loss for words you still had some left; when I was knocked unconscious you still kept me safe...So if you wouldn't mind... I think I could use an assistant." I said with a small smile.

She looked away as if to ponder it for a moment then she looked back at me. "Okay I'll do it..., on one condition" she said with a bright smile. Seeing my puzzled look she continued; "You have to start being nicer to me." she said proudly.

"Where's the fun in that?" I joked as I passed her while laughing.

"You idiot" she said while she started to laugh. She then followed right behind me into the Telephone booth. We didn't realize it just then, but on her flank a new hourglass shaped Cutie Mark had just appeared. I suppose that was when Colgate became my assistant. I suppose that's when the eleventh time lord had joined the ranks.

Traveling through time I've realized many things but the thing that's stood out the most to me was something that Colgate taught me that day. While beliefs and ponies may change throughout time, some things don't change though like the need for companionship...Or in my case the need for someone to tell me I'm an idiot, so I can constantly strive to prove them wrong. I suppose that's all I ever wanted.

Yours Truly,

The Doctor


	2. Chapter 2

Again, please help us with any errors whether they be grammatical or conceptual. We would greatly appreciate it, and every little bit helps.

~Thanks

Written by Umbrae Cruxis & DrStupid962

Chapter 2: The Master at the Gala

Dear whoever bothered reading,

The Grand Galloping Gala was an... interesting event for me. I say this not because of the catastrophe that had happened there, even though I may have caused it, but because of something that went on behind the scenes at that Gala, something much more sinister than I was expecting to find there.  
>-<p>

"...No way" Colgate said to me looking at the controls.

"It's easy, all you do is press this lever, enter 3616 on this number pad, pull this switch, spin that gear COUNTERCLOCKWISE, input the code 345277365 on the touch screen pad, and finally press the big red button in less than 11 seconds." I finished telling her.

"You're kidding me?" She asked hopefully.

"You're the one that wanted to be a time lord" I laughed.

"Then you'll just have to be my chauffeur" she stated bluntly.

"That's not what I was getting at-" I started

"I'm you your assistant... so you drive," she told me while she walked to the other side of the TARDIS.

"How nice of you..." I stated aloud as I looked at the controls. Maybe I should have told her that all you do is input the date and press the big red button... I thought to myself as I went to the center pillar. ...nah I'd rather not have us crash 5000 years in the past, I'll just drive I finished.

"So where would you like to go my new assistant?" I asked with a smile.

She put her hoof to her mouth. "I'm not sure, how about somewhere... less dangerous" she sighed back to me.

"But the danger is where the fun is" I joked, but I was silenced when I saw her annoyed face. "Fine, fine I have the perfect place in mind." I said to her as I walked up to the control spire of the TARDIS.

She shot up and walked back towards me. "Where to?" She asked excitedly.

"We are going to go to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot in the year where we met" I said with a smile. Before I pressed the big button that would send us on our way, "You might want to hold on to something" I recommended. She nodded and placed her hooves around a group of wires that hung from the ceiling. This time I made sure I bit down on a handle; not wanting a repeat of my last travel. I then pressed the button, and the tremors started almost immediately, and then almost as soon as it started, it ended.

"You Okay?" I asked Colgate, who was holding desperately to the cords.

"Am I ever going to get used to this?" She asked me as she finally let go of the hanging cords.

"Nope" I said simply as I walked out of the TARDIS, but not before snagging my supply bag, not going to be left without supplies again I thought to myself.

Outside was a beautiful starry night in one of the alleys in Canterlot. Music filled the air as if calling all ponies to the biggest party of the year. Which stood just a few blocks away. "Wow! We're in Canterlot!" Colgate yelled aloud with a bright smile.

"Never been to Canterlot?" I asked her. She simply shook her head as she rushed out of the alley way, into the main streets of the city. I left following her with a small smile.

The streets were completely empty. We strolled through the streets that led to the castle where the now 1000 year older princess now resided. "What's the Gala like?" Colgate asked me excitedly.

"Uh...good music, good food, horrible ponies...that about sums it up" I stated, happy with my explanation. She looked at me strangely.

"What do you mean?" she asked me with a pout.

"You'll understand soon enough" I laughed as we walked to the gate of the castle.

Once we reached within twenty feet of the gate Colgate suddenly stopped. "How exactly are we supposed to get in? None of us have a ticket..." she said

"You don't need things like invitations when you're a time lord" I said with a smile and reached into my pack, which was nestled on my back, and pulled out a small slip of paper.

"What's that?" Colgate asked me.

"You'll see" I mumbled, holding the paper in my mouth. We walked up to a pony that was checking tickets; I showed him the piece of paper. "Here is my invitation. The Doctor and a plus one" I said showing him the slip of paper. He eyed it carefully before unblocking the entrance to the grounds. I walked past like I belonged with Colgate following in awe.

"How did you do that?" she said in complete shock over the event. I chuckled and showed her the slip of paper that was rightly called Psychic Paper.

"This is a piece of special paper called Psychic Paper, ponies who are trained can make this slip look like any kind of document. I simply focus on the paper and made it look like an invitation" I mumbled, while holding the piece of paper in my mouth.

"Well... that's convenient" she stated, awkwardly glancing at the piece of paper in my mouth.

"You're new to this, soon you'll realize that convenience is what we go for." I said as I placed the slip of paper back in my pack. I then looked and noticed her hourglass cutie mark showing proudly. "By the way, I don't want us to be recognized, so I think you should cover your cutie mark" I told her.

She looked at her newly found cutie mark. "Why do we have to hide it?" she asked sincerely.

"Because of the chance that someone may recognize us" I explained to her pulling my pack a bit tighter around me to hide my cutie mark.

She started to laugh at my comment. "You worry too much, whose going to recognize us as time lords? You were the first pony I've ever heard even say the name." she laughed. I gave a sigh, the only thing I had in my sack that would cover up her cutie mark was a small saddle, and I wasn't planning on asking her to wear that... well not yet.

'Okay fine, maybe your right, I may just be a bit paranoid in my years" I said to her. She gave a smile in response and started walking towards the gala.

"I wonder who we're going to see" Colgate said excitedly as we came upon the entrance to the castle grounds, which was a small trot away from the gates. I looked around seeing a vast amount of treats and smiles. I smiled as I turned to see some new arrivals that were bouncing around, and even singing as they entered. "What are they singing?" Colgate asked me.

"Looks like they're chanting 'at the gala,' makes you wonder how they rehearse an improv song, huh?" I asked Colgate who simply shrugged her shoulders back. I looked around the grounds nopony standing out to much. My gaze then fell onto a dark blue pony with a pulled back mane, blond in color, and who held a gaze which looked like it could convince ice that it would be happy to melt. I turned to Colgate who was looking around excitedly. "You have terrible luck" I stated blatantly.

She looked back at me shocked. "That's not nice, why would you say that?" she asked me.  
>"You're right that was mean of me, and incorrect, you don't have bad luck, I DO." I sighed as I stared at the blue pony who was showing off his rare beyond rare cutie mark. Colgate looked to where I was staring and saw the blue pony.<p>

"Is that another Time Lord?" she asked me curiously noticing the hourglass.

"Yeah...he's one of the nastier ones around as well, he's simply known as 'The Master'" I told her.

"That's a bit conceited isn't it?" she asked me looking at the other time lord.

"No it's not, that's what makes it a very troublesome case seeing him here" I sighed aloud.

"Well, do we have to do something?" she asked me with a worried look on her face.

"No, I'm not allowing you anywhere near him. You are too wet behind the ears for him. Go have fun at the Gala, I have to keep an eye on him" I told her. She looked at me troubled.

"I'm your assistant, do you honestly think I'm going to let you do this alone?" she asked me sincerely.

"Knowing your personality, I'm assuming you'd follow me the whole time if I sent you to go have fun at the Gala." I said to her keeping an eye on the blue pony, who was now talking to a pink pony in a dress.

"It's scary, that we've been acquainted for less than 24 hours and you already know me so well" she said as she shook her head.

"I try" I joked, my attention fixed on The Master.

The Master than turned his head and glance at me. He smiled a broad smile, and then everypony around me stopped. The music, the air, the breathing, the thumping of the hooves, everything just stopped. I turned to see Colgate beside me stiff, not moving at all. "First assistant I get and she's a bad luck charm... swell" I sighed as I started to walk toward the blue pony.

"Hello Master" I said to the blue pony as I came up. He gave a broad smile at my approach.

"Didn't expect to see you here Doctor" he replied, his voice low, yet holding a hypnotic pull that drew one in. He looked past me to where Colgate now stood. "Got an assistant I see" he noted with a smile that never left his face.

"You touch her, I swear I will tear you limb from limb" I growled at the blue pony. He turned his head, his blond mane swinging around.

"I don't want your latest fascination!" he barked at me. His smile hadn't faded at all, leaving a smile that looked like it could pierce your very existence.

"Was it you that corrupted Luna?" I asked with the memory still fresh in my mind.

He started to laugh insanely, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. My frown held steadily. "That must have been years ago since I did that" he said with a smile. "Get with the times Doctor" he said, his smile pissing me off more and more by the second.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my eyes narrowing on the pony who was the most dangerous pony alive, the strongest time lord, a pony that's started more disasters than one could possibly count, a pony that was at one time my teacher.

"Ah, that's the big question isn't it? Why are we all here?" He said smiling at my pissed off look.

"Just tell me! Why are you here!" I yelled at him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Doctor I taught you better manners than that" he said smiling over my distress. "If you truly wish to know 'my plan' than how about we play a small game?" He asked me his smile never leaving his face.

My gaze narrowed. "One of your famous games?" I asked maliciously.

"Why of course! Did you expect me to simply tell you?" He asked me, his smile only infuriating me more..

"I guess that would be too convenient" I sighed. "So what did you have in mind?" I asked him.

"There are six ponies eager to have a wonderful night tonight, as they should, with it being the biggest party of the year" he told me, his smile growing brighter.

"What's that got to do with this?" I asked him, my eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Ah impatient as always I see" he said to me with a snicker in his voice. "These six ponies came to the Gala tonight hoping for a fun time, I want you to ruin their night tonight" he said to me, his smile never leaving his face.

"What do they have to do with this? They're just regular ponies aren't they?" I asked him.

"These ponies are important to time, but that's not the reason I want you to do this. " He stated.

"Then what's the reason for wanting me to ruin their night?" I asked him.

He started to chuckle as if sharing an inside joke. "I'll tell you when you finally finish." He laughed.

I sighed defeated. "Who are these six pones?" I asked him.

He laughed at me, "Look around the Gala, look for the ponies that don't feel like they belong" he said, looking at my confusion and letting out a laugh.

"What makes you think I won't just fight you here?" I asked him, readying myself for a fight.

"Why Doctor, if you were to try and lift a hoof to me, I could simply age you to ash with my powers. " He stated with happiness echoing through his voice. I unintentionally flinched at the comment. It was something that I knew, but not something I was prepared to hear. "So how about you go and have fun at the Gala. You have six nights you have to ruin, and one secret plan of mine to uncover." He cackled.

"You can't control me!" I barked at him.

"Ah but Doctor, what if I'm trying to finish the job I did a thousand years ago? What if I'm planning on making this the Grand Galloping Massacre?" He asked me with a straight face. I cringed at his statement, I was wrapped tight around his hoof, and he knew it.

He laughed at me. "OK how about I give you a hint because I'm such a nice pony" he started saying. "Out of the six ponies, one will have a bad night even if you don't get involved in her night. Consider it a freebie." He said to me. "Now I would appreciate it if you walked back over to your baby of an assistant. We don't want the ponies thinking you teleported" he joked stifling a laugh. I let out a small growl before walking back to Colgate.

As soon as I stood next to her again, time continued. The singing began again; the wind filled the air, the laughter of party goers echoed through the halls of the castle and on to the castle grounds. "What's wrong?" she asked me, seeing the anger that had built up on my face.

"I talked to Master" I confessed, holding back frustration. She looked at me, then where the Master now stood, who was starting to talk to a butter colored pony wearing a green cape.

"How did you two talk? You didn't leave this- Stopping time...duh" she said, finishing her question. "What did he say?" she asked me, her voice on edge.

"He has something planned for the night, and he wants us to figure out what it is." I told her looking at the ponies around, trying to see who these ponies who 'stood out' were.

"Well what were we supposed to do? A riddle? A scavenger hunt? What?" she asked me nervously.

"We are supposed to ruin the night of six ponies here" I said to her, looking for said ponies. She stared at me awkwardly.

"We are supposed to ruin tonight for some of these ponies? W-We can't do that a lot of the ponies here are probably here excited hoping for a wonderful night..." Colgate stated somberly at the thought.

Well unless your thinking this will ruin their night more so than a mass murder, I don't think we have much of a choice-" I started, before being cutoff because I had found one of the ponies. I was positive it was one of the ponies that the Master had been referring to. She was an orange pony wearing a brown cow pony hat, green boots, a green neck tie, a brown saddle on her flank with a green tarp hanging almost to the ground. Her tail and her mane were both braided and blond in color. The reason she stood out was obvious. Because of how she was dressed, she was the lone cloud in an otherwise clear sky.

"She's one of them" I whispered to Colgate, gesturing over to the orange pony.

"How do you know?" Colgate asked me.

"The Master told me that the ponies whose nights we had to ruin were 'out of place,' and you can't get much more out of place than that" I replied.

"Why does he want us doing this?" Colgate asked me somberly.

"Because he enjoys watching ponies suffer" I stated straight forwardly. She gave a sigh before looking again at the blond pony that had just made a sale to one of the famous Wonder Bolts.

"What's the plan?" she asked me.

"Well she's a merchant... the worst thing for a merchant would be not to sell so..." I started.

"How are we supposed to get people to not buy her apples?" Colgate asked me.

I looked around at the ponies then turned my gaze back at Colgate. "Time to show you another reason why time lords are awesome" I told her with a smile, despite the situation. I closed my eyes and my hourglass cutie mark began to glow. After a second all sound, all laughter, all the rustling of the wind suddenly stopped.

"I'm never going to get used to this" Colgate said, as she shook her head at seeing time frozen. She then looked at me expectantly. "When are you going to teach me how to do this by the way?"

"When we're not trying to figure out what a deranged time lord is trying to do," I said to her as I walked up to where the apple stand now stood.

"Why don't we just tell Celestia about The Master" Colgate asked, following close behind me.

"The Master is probably the strongest pony in existence. For now, it's best to try and play his little game. The alternative is to have our princess die because she can't fight with time stopped." I explained to her as well walked to the stand where the orange merchant stood.

"Couldn't you bring her in to frozen time like you did with me?" She asked me.

"I can't stop time for long, there is no way I would be able to stop time long enough for her to fight" I explained somberly. She nodded understanding.

"So... what do we do?" she asked me.

"Eh hem. WHY WOULD I PAY FOR APPLES WHEN THERE'S A FREE BUFFET INSIDE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Colgate stared at me for a second, most likely thinking she had chosen to be an assistant to a lunatic. I smiled at her and said in a conversation tone; "When time is frozen. If you speak aloud to other ponies, there's a possibility that you can influence their decisions" I stated as if it was obvious.

She stared at me a bit awkwardly again. "Why didn't you just do that to the guard at the front then?" She asked me, gesturing to the front gates of the castle.

"You can only alter subtle thoughts. Meaning in the guards case where he was dedicated in not letting anypony in who didn't have a ticket, I wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise. However, in this situation where these ponies are not dead set on buying from this merchant, you can alter their flow of thinking to guide them away from it." I explained to her as I started to walk back to the spot where we were originally before I had stopped time.

"You sure it'll work?" she asked me as she stood next to me.

"Nope" I said proudly as the light from my cutie mark faded to normal. Time returned to normal returning the laughter, the rustling of the wind, and the singing that was happening... in the ballroom?

"You're never sure of yourself are you?" she asked me strangely.

"I'm always sure of myself, but I would feel bad if I left you awestruck with me just smiling." I said with a smile. I stared to walk towards the ball room listening to a song somepony was singing that felt completely different from the orchestra, which was common place at the Gala.

"You sure that's why because that's never stopped you before from laughing at my shock" she said with a huff.

"You hear that?" I asked Colgate as I walked in to the entrance of the castle. In the ball room stood many ponies chatting with stallions in suits and mares in deep dresses. One pony was bouncing off the wall...

"Wait a second...?" I turned to Colgate, to see her staring at the pink pony in shock.

"That's... Pinkie Pie" Colgate said in a hushed whisper.

"Colgate, was the other pony at the apple stand from Ponyville?" I asked her. 'That could be what the ponies had in common... that's what could make them out of place!' I thought to myself.

"Actually... now that you mention it... Yeah! I think so..." Colgate started, trying to remember as if it was on the tip of her tongue. "... APPLEJACK!" She shouted much higher than her normal voice, causing a few of the ponies to turn toward us. She held back a blush before looking at me directly. "Yeah she was from Ponyville! She is part of the apple orchard there! I usually don't see her though… since the apple orchard and Ponyville are separate from each other." Colgate explained. Finally we returned our attention to the hyperactive pony.

"Are we supposed to ruin Pinkie's night as well?" Colgate asked looking a bit disturbed at the thought. I looked through the crowd and saw the reactions of the uptight ponies there. I turned away somberly.

"The Master told me that one of the out of place ponies was going to have her night ruined even if we didn't mess up her night... I think Pinkie is that pony..." I said to Colgate. She looked at me a bit surprised.

"Why do you say Pinkie is going to have a bad night?" She asked me.

"This is an upscale party, and look at the reactions that each pony is giving her" I stated gesturing toward the crowd as the pink pony started to dance on one of the tables. Each 'upscale' pony there was either eying the pink pony in disgust or shock; it was obvious things wouldn't end well for the pink pony in this setting. "Come on lets go find the last four," I said to Colgate as we walked on. This just isn't the right party for that pony... I thought somberly.

We found the next pony quickly. She stood out not because of her etiquette or how she was dressed, but because of who she was with. "Don't typically see ponies sitting right beside the princess" I noted aloud looking at where a purple pony was having a friendly chat with the white alicorn. "Do you know her?" I asked Colgate.

Colgate stared at the purple pony and then shook her head. "Never seen her before" Colgate responded to me. I gave a small sigh; there was no way to determine whether this pony was the one that The Master was referring to when he gave the hint : 'out of place.' "I have an idea!" Colgate said to me, interrupting my thoughts. I looked at her strangely, as if purposely refusing to answer my response she rushed up to the white alicorn, making my eyes bulge in shock.

I only stared as Colgate went up the stairs where the princess and the purple pony stood. Colgate looked as if she shared a few words with Celestia, and then shook her hoof very readily. I looked around and saw that other ponies were now staring at the shocked but happy Celestia, who was shaking hooves with an unknown (to them at least) pony. Before I knew what was going on, Colgate was walking down the stairs with a small mob going up the stairs to talk to the princess.

"Bet your time powers couldn't of accomplished that as quickly" she said with a smile at my shocked face.

" Looks like I chose a decent assistant" I laughed.

"Decent?" she asked me annoyed.

"Well.. you're still a bad luck charm," I joked, as she rolled her eyes at my comment.

"So what's next?" Colgate asked me.

I turned and looked around; Celestia looked awkward greeting the ponies, who had formed a thirty pony long line. The purple pony at the top who had been chatting away with the alicorn now looked distressed at this new development. Sorry 'I thought to myself somberly.

"Let's head back outside... there should only be three more ponies," I said to Colgate as we walked back out of the castle and in to the courtyard. Applejack the apple merchant from earlier was looking desperately at ponies walking by who were subconsciously avoiding her fruits.

I gave a sigh and chanced a look at the VIP area which stood just on the other side of the castle. "Hey! I know her" Colgate said to me pointing to a cyan pony that was excitedly entering the VIP area. 'That's strange...usually only really famous ponies enter the VIP area' I thought to myself as I silently walked to the VIP area.

"Who is this blue pony?" I asked Colgate as we approached the VIP area. The area was sealed off by another guard pony and was surrounded by many ponies that looked as if they were trying to talk to the ponies on the inside.

"Her name is Rainbow Dash, she's a really fast pony from Ponyville, yet I didn't think she'd be famous enough for the VIP area here at the Gala" Colgate relayed to me.

"I think she's one of the ponies were supposed to mess with..." I told Colgate with a frown.

"Because it doesn't look like she belongs in the VIP, and because she's from Ponyville?" she asked me.

"Careful, if you keep thinking the things I'm thinking, I'll end up being the assistant" I laughed while keeping my gaze locked on the blue pony with the rainbow mane and tail.

"I'm sure you would be a very good assistant" Colgate joked, stifling a laugh.

"You don't want to be the main Time Lord though" I said, seeing the blue pony starting to talk to some of the wonder bolts. Even from here you could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Why not?" She asked me with a cute pout.

"Because then you'd have to drive the TARDIS "I told her, with a laugh escaping my throat. I then walked down toward the entrance of the VIP area with Colgate following me annoyed.

"What's the plan?" Colgate asked me once we entered within twenty feet of the entrance.

She seems to be attached to the wonderbolts I noticed. " We need to keep her away from the Wonderbolts, she seems to idealize them..."

"I have another idea!" Colgate replied excitedly as she walked up to the guard, who I should have mentioned earlier was a stallion. Many of the ponies who were crowding the area around the VIP area were now looking curiously at Colgate. Colgate was talking to the guard pony, and the guard was talking back very interested in the female pony. Colgate then gestured toward the castle, and the guard nodded excitedly leaving his post following Colgate, who was trotting toward the ball room. As she walked past me, she gave me a small wink while I just stared at her in complete awe.

"Well that's not fair..." I thought aloud as I started to walk to the crowds who seemed shocked by what just happened. "Hey look! The entrance to the VIP area is open" I said to the ponies, who were confused by the spectacle. However, once told, they didn't hesitate for a second before rushing in to the VIP area. I saw Rainbow Dash trying and failing to talk to her idols once the new crowd swept in. "Sorry Dash" I whispered with a somber smile as I walked away from the scene.

I walked back in to the ball room in the middle of one of the songs being played by the orchestra. Colgate and the guard pony were dancing on the floor, and I felt a strange pang in my chest. I quickly suppressed it before walking towards one of the empty chairs. Right before I sat down I felt a shove pushing me to the ground.

I looked up to see who had pushed me. It was a white pony wearing a black tux and who held a nicely cut brown mane and tail. He held a compass rose on his flank representing his cutie mark. "Who do you think you are?" I growled.

He looked at me as if I was a second class citizen. "I am Prince Blueblood, who are you commoner?" He asked in a tone that made me want to shove a hoof where a hoof should never be.

"I'm the Doctor" I said to him, standing up from the spot I was shoved down. "And I believe you just stole my chair." I accused.

"A doctor you say?" He asked not interested my complaints. .

"Yeah... it means I'm legally allowed to do a colonoscopy on you" I said with pure malice dripping from each word.

Prince Blueblood looked at me uninterested before finally getting up, and surrendering the seat to me. I sat down still a bit peeved about the event. The event had lasted until the end of the song. Colgate then noticing me left a dazed guard and walked over to me.

"Well hello there Doctor" she remarked with a smile. "My plan work?" she asked me.

"Like a charm, the guard is going to be a bit pissed about having six times as many ponies, but it worked" I reported.

"Well... good" she said as she sat next to me. "So who's next?" she asked me as she looked around. As soon as she uttered the words a new pony walked in sporting a pink dress, a white coat, and an ivory colored mane and tail. "Well I guess I spoke too soon" she told me, looking at the white pony.

"What do you mean? She doesn't look out of place" I said to Colgate, who was staring at the pony.

"She's from Ponyville as well..." Colgate relayed to me.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Her name's Rarity, and she sells clothes at Ponyville," Colgate told me as she stood ready.  
>I then noticed the pony named Rarity noticing Prince Blueblood and started chasing after him. "Well... looks like we don't need to do anything," I told Colgate, she simply stared back awkwardly.<p>

"What do you mean? I thought Pinkie was the only pony whose night was going to suck no matter what." She asked me.

"Yeah, but I think I accidentally made it to where she meets the biggest jerk I've seen in a while." I said to her remembering the pony that pushed me out of the chair. "She's going to have a horrible night if she's trying to woo him" I said shaking my head as I got up.

"Mind explaining?" Colgate asked me, still ignorant to the whole exchange between me and Blueblood.

"Rarity just went after a white pony named Blueblood, if I didn't kick him out of my seat he would be here and not there, meaning Rarity may not have seen him" I tried to explain to her. She nodded slowly in confirmation.

"OK so we just have one left?" Colgate asked me as she looked around for the last pony. She suddenly stared at one pony; I followed her gaze until I saw The Master. He was talking to a yellow pony and it looked like they were having a fun conversation. He then glanced at us before everything stopped again. Colgate shivered as I cringed back at the freezing time. He trotted over to us.

"Hello there you two." He announced, his sarcastic smile held tightly on his face. He then gazed at me, "So... Doctor you figure out my plan yet?" he asked me with a sparkle in my eye.

"No" I replied plainly back to him. He gave a small laugh at my response.

"You two have been busy though; making sure that these ponies who so wish that they could have an amazing night, yet you just ruined them" he said this, his smile never fading. "I must tell you that you two are doing a wonderful job" he told us, with a glint in his eyes.

"Remember you swore that you would stop your plan after we finished your little game" I growled at him.

He shook his head, "you have to listen my student, I specifically told you, I'd tell you my plan when you accomplished my game" He asserted with a bright smile. "I have no intention of stopping it just because you can ruin some pony's night." He was now staring at Colgate.

"I believe this is the first time we are officially acquainted my dear Colgate" He announced with a smile to my assistant. Colgate stared at him in wonder.

"How do you know my name?" Colgate asked a bit shocked by all that was happening.

"Silly girl I've been spying on you two this whole time! A slight twist of the head here and I make sure you see the target that you are supposed to see" He relayed with a proud smile.

"That's why it's been so easy..." I whispered to myself.

"Ah you're catching on!" He laughed at me. "But you're right you most likely wouldn't have noticed each pony so quickly if it wasn't for my subtle guidance." He said to us.

"Then why are you here in front of us now! We haven't completed your game! Why are you here?" I yelled at him.

"Manners Doctor, this is a formal event" He told me with a small snicker. "And to answer your question I came to you to tell you that the last pony I want you to ruin is at the garden behind the castle." He told us.

"Why didn't you just 'subtly guide us'" Colgate asked. Master looked at her as if it was obvious.

"You know how hard it is to make somepony unknowingly switch directions? I could do it, but I rather not waste the energy and effort, so here I am telling you where your next target is." He said to us as he started walking back to the yellow pony whom he was talking to before.  
>"Come talk to me again after you finish our game..." He proclaimed with a smile before looking back at the yellow pony after which time began to resume.<p>

"What did he mean when he called you student?" Colgate asked me as soon as time resumed.

I heaved a sigh. "It's something from the past...Nothing to concern yourself with" I said as I started to head out the back of the ballroom which led to the royal garden.

After a few minutes of walking through the garden we found the only pony who was at the garden except maybe a grounds keeper. "You recognize her?" I asked Colgate.

She gave me a nod before saying; "yeah her name's Fluttershy, she works with the animals back at Ponyville."

"So she probably came here for animals..." I thought aloud as I saw the yellow pony start to try and lure some of the animals out.

"She's doing it all wrong" I heard an older voice from beside us that made us both jump. To my side there was a brown elderly pony. We looked strangely at the older pony.

"Um... hello?" Colgate asked for the both of us.

"Oh hello ther," the brown pony called to us. "What brings y'all to this part of the garden" He said with a thick accent.

"Well we followed the yellow pony" I stated, testing the waters with this new pony.

"Oh... why did you do that?" He asked me as he started to whistle a small tune.

"Well why did you say that she was doing it all wrong?" I asked the brown pony.

"The animals here are all accustomed to a certain smell, you come in here smelling all fru fru they be likely to avoid ya." he drawled, leaving his mouth hanging after the final syllable.

"So they're going to avoid her?" I asked the old pony.

"Yep..., I should go and tell her" he said as he started to walk toward the yellow colored pony, who was still beckoning to the animals.

"Um... wait!" I called to the brown pony. The old pony turned and looked at us again.

"Why don't you continue doing your rounds, we'll tell her" I told him.

"Why that's mighty kind of you," he replied while nodding to us and walking off to continue some of his work.

"Well that was simple" I sighed joyfully.

"Doctor why'd we do this?" she asked me suddenly cutting the topic.

"What do you mean? You heard The Master'" I responded. looking back at her.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, and then proceeded to close it as if deciding against it. "Never mind" she murmured.

"Well done." A new voice said to us.

We turned to see the Master as he walked out of the ball room to greet us. Before I knew what was happening time had already stopped.

"I have to say, I didn't think you'd go through with it Doctor." He said with a broad smile.

"We played your little game now tell me why you're here!" I shouted at him some of the frustration of the evening bubbling up.

"Ah...The big event, the finale, the payout for this whole night," he started saying. "You really want to know Doctor?" I gave a small growl in response. He held back a laugh and resumed; "Doctor, do you recall how one becomes a time lord?" he asked me walking toward us.

"... No" I muttered in realization. "You didn't!" I yelled at him. Colgate turned to me looking more confused than ever.

Master noticing this turned to me, "naughty, naughty haven't even told your own assistant." He started with a smile.

"Tell me what?" Colgate asked us.

I turned to her. "time lords aren't made exactly how other ponies get their cutie mark. A time lord doesn't exactly have a cutie mark..." I started failing to grasp any comprehensible words.

"What do you mean? I can see my cutie mark right her!" she said to me gesturing to the hourglass on her flank.

Telling her that she doesn't actually have a cutie mark would crush her... I thought to myself picturing her somber face when she told me she didn't have a cutie mark.

"What my incompetent student is trying so hard to convey is that, that cutie mark you hold doesn't represent your one true talent that many other ponies show off on their flank. An hourglass on your flank symbolizes a uniform." He told her.

"What's the difference?" Colgate asked, not understanding.

"It means...that it's not really your cutie mark, when you have it on it replaces your cutie mark if you have one, or acts like one if you didn't" I explained trying to avoid the next part of this conversation.

"You have to give your assistant some context." Master said while laughing at my awkwardness. "Basically what my ex-student is trying so desperately hard to tell you is that, you're not special... any pony who wishes to become a Time Lord and who travels through time can have their body altered for one, EVEN if they already have a cutie mark." Master clarified.

"What does this all have to do with me and the Doctor tonight!" Colgate shouted.

"It means he's building an army..." I whispered as I looked to the ground.

"Shame is good student; it humbles you before your master!" He said with a small laugh. "But yes you are correct, while you two were off trying to find those six ponies, I was chatting up the locals... looking for possible recruits, nothing more, nothing less.

"So you had us do all of this simply so we wouldn't stop you?" I asked him.

He looked at me like I had spoken a different language entirely. "You? Stop me? That thought never crossed my mind! NO, I didn't send you on this little hunt to give me more time! I sent you on this hunt to prove to you something that you are completely ignorant of!" he yelled at me.

"What?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You were my experiment Doctor, feel rewarded! I wanted you to see that a pony, who was at one time completely dedicated to helping and healing those who had went through trauma, was himself capable of doing harm to other ponies."

I stared flabbergasted at the pony that stood in front of me. He looked at my face and suppressed a snicker. "What? Doctor are you surprised? You played in to it perfectly, all I did was show you which ponies were the one I wanted, and you did it with the false hope that doing this would bring you closer to my level." He said with a laugh. He then turned to face Colgate who stood silent through all of this.

"You are much more remarkable than I originally gave you credit for young one. Not even considered an adult and you were able to think of some intelligent plans… I commend you for that, but I want to tell you something I'm sure the Doctor never would flat out say. You're not special, you were simply at the right place at the right time, and you're no more special than that guard you distracted." He said this with a smile that had hardly moved on his face as he walked back from us.

"SHUT UP" I yelled at my old teacher. "I don't care what you say to me! I don't care what you do! I don't care if you raise an army and try to threaten the fabric of time itself!" I yelled at the blue pony his smile still in place.

"Is this the part where you tell me to spare your assistant's feelings?" The master said with a sarcastic tint dripping off his voice.

"No this is the part where I tell you to buck off! I yelled at the blue pony. "You're much stronger than me in the mental and physical sense of the word, but I don't care! If you try to mess up time with your 'army' I will find a way to stop you!" I yelled at the blue pony.

"Ah...I guess I haven't completely ridden you of your ignorance" He scolded, his smile growing. "But that's Okay... I mean what's a game without a challenge?" He said with a small laugh before turning to Colgate beside me. "How about you dear? You willing to sacrifice your life for something that never intentionally chose you?" Master asked her. I cringed in anticipation at her response.

"I didn't know it was going to be like this..., but I don't think I could go back to living day to day with no greater purpose, so even if I wasn't specifically chosen for this… I believe we make our own fate, and honestly... I'm starting to really look forward to seeing your face when we send you to Hell!" She shouted with a new, dark tone that I had never heard in her voice previously.

"Why this is interesting... How about another game you two?" Master cackled, his smile brightening. We looked at him hesitantly. "The Doctor and his toothpaste colored assistant against the master of time" He yelled, his smile growing from cheek to cheek. "A battle for the ages! The winner gets to look down, and laugh, at the other ponies while they roast!" Master roared letting out a manic laughter that chilled us to our bones.

Time Lords are generally loners. We don't like to endanger the lives of others, or drag other ponies in to this messed up life that we ourselves were most likely dragged in to. I'm still reluctant to having Colgate as my assistant, but I don't think I could have survived the tribulations ahead without her by my side...

Yours Truly,  
>The Doctor<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! I hope everyone enjoys reading our story as much as we do writing it!

Please leave us a review helping us with any grammatical or conceptual errors, and please let us know what you think.

~Thanks

Written by Umbrae Cruxis and Dr. Stupid 962

Chapter 3: 1984 years later

Dear whomever this journal reaches:

With love comes strife, with courage comes fear, with joy comes pain, and with power comes a sense of responsibility. The Master was at one time a respectable pony, one who fought for what he believed in. What made him snap, I'm still not sure. Perhaps the stress of seeing ponies make the same mistakes over years and years of trying to tell them otherwise changed him.  
>-<p>

"Focus" I told Colgate. She was staring intently at a chess board we had set up in front of both of us. We had reached the TARDIS only about a half hour after my last entry. The Master had left us at the Gala shortly after issuing his challenge.

"How is this going to help me?" Colgate said aloud, moving a bishop three spaces. Her blue and white mane was slightly bouncing as she moved her muscles.

"Chess teaches strategy for one, and being able to concentrate on one thing for a period of time is the basis of time manipulation" I told her, while I castled my rook and king.

She heaved a sigh before sitting back away from the chess board. "Can we go somewhere, like in time I mean?" she sat a little awkward. I sighed holding a small smile on my face.

"Chess also teaches patience" I said with a small grin.

"Your only patient because you've won the last ten times" Colgate said, rolling her eyes.

"If we're going to beat the Master we need to be on equal footing with him" I responded lowly as I stared at the chess board.

"Well, we still should go after him, we already know where he went... why don't we just follow?" Colgate pestered becoming more and more antsy. When we arrived in the TARDIS, Posted on the front door was a simple note that read +1984.

I stood up. "Okay well check it out, but it could be a dangerous place." I told her.

"It means 1984 days right? she asked me reading the note.

I looked at her strangely for a second before replying "If there is nothing besides numbers on a form than it means years not days. Standard time lord speak, kind of an unwritten conversion." I told her as I walked to the central pillar of the TARDIS.

"We're going 1984 years in to the future?" She replied excitedly.

"Looks that way..." I nodded, as I began to input the data in to the central spire.

"What's it like?"

"We're about to find out aren't we" I said aloud the excitement starting to get to me. _How long has it been since I went this far in to the future? _I thought to myself as I pressed the giant red button that signified take off. The TARDIS instantly began to shake violently. Colgate, who has experienced this a couple times, was already clutching a string of chords for dear life. I gripped on to one of the handles and rode out the next few seconds while the TARDIS teleported. Suddenly, a screen came down from overhead and suddenly turned on to reveal a night sky.

"What's that?" Colgate asked confused.

"It means I'm going to be driving manually for us to hit ground" I stated, excitement overtaking my voice.

"Okay?" Colgate replied, having full faith in my driving abilities. With excitement pushing me forward, I stood on my hind legs and gripped the large wheel that was used for turning the TARDIS. I pushed up on a lever next to the wheel, and we started our decent. Colgate who had let go of her chords in faith of having a safe flight, instantly regretted it. She flew upward as we descended faster and faster to the ground. I looked at the screen to see that we were heading at speeds that would rival a comet, and we were twisting around and flipping. The ground loomed closer and closer.

Colgate held tightly around some cords, noticing we were close to the ground. "Allons~y!" I yelled aloud as we crashed in to the ground. The sudden impact hardly did anything to the ship, but then again the TARDIS was built strongly. I looked at Colgate with a smile to see her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "What a rush! We should do that again!" I laughed as I headed to the exit of the TARDIS. I saw Colgate reluctantly let go and follow me out of the TARDIS.

Outside the TARDIS we were stuck in a small crater made by the impact. The night sky hung high, but it didn't feel as dark as it would because of how bright a city hung on the side of a mountain. "YOU'RE A HORRIBLE DRIVER!" Colgate finally yelled at me.

_She must have been in shock_, I thought to myself.

"Well you're alive, that proves I'm an excellent driver" I replied, with a small grin plastered on my face. She stared at me with annoyance prevalent in her eyes.

"I'm driving next time. I don't care if you're like 300 years older than me-"

"I would say closer to... 324 years"

"Doesn't matter! I'm pretty sure I could steer better if I just stared at the wheel then you could while actually steering" she grumbled, while I simply held my smile.

"Where are we anyway?" she asked me, staring up at the giant city that wrapped many times around the mountain.

"That's Canterlot" I told her. Her eyes widened. This new town of Canterlot was much different from the concrete one we had just left. The building looked to all be made of pure glass making the lights bounce off each wall. The city was also at least five times the size of the original Canterlot with the Castle standing much higher than it was before. "Time changes everything" I yawned.

"Can we see Ponyville?" Colgate asked excitedly.

"I think we're supposed to go to Canterlot, after we do what we have to there then sure" I responded with a small smile. She nodded with a smile spreading wide over her face as she started running to the trail that led to Canterlot. The trail that almost 2000 years prior was barely three ponies wide was now about 15 meters wide with vendors on the mountain side ready to sell anything from mood inducing apples, to newspapers.

"What's a happy apple?" Colgate finally asked me looking at the stock of what a smiling vendor was showing her.

"Its an apple that when you eat it, it makes you happy, happy, happy!" The green vendor pony told her a little too excitedly.

"I wouldn't eat any of these" I told her as I walked past the vendors.

"Why not?" Colgate asked looking at the different apples everyone was selling.

"Their considered narcotics, you can get seriously addicted to them if you eat just one" I explained to her.

"How are they allowed to sell them then?" Colgate asked seeing a few other customers walking from vendor to vendor looking at the apples.

"I'm... not sure" I told her. _Celestia wouldn't have allowed this_, I thought to myself as we continued to trudge up the trail.

Soon we reached Canterlot; the buildings were made of beautiful Crystal glass that was shined to perfection. What stood out the most in the town were these large posters that were hung on the buildings. The posters were six meters tall with a giant brown face on it. Under the face in big black letters read "Atticus is watching you." Before each 'A' though in the name was a sprayed on 'F' making the statement 'FAtticus is watching you.' I stifled a laugh before turning to Colgate who was looking at the signs in wonder.

"Who is Fatticus?" Colgate asked me noticing the signs.

"Did you just ask who Fatticus was?" a voice came from behind us. We looked around to see a black mare wearing a strange contraption on her neck.

"Yeah, would you mind enlightening us to who this poster colt is?" I said with a grin.

The mare looked at us a bit strangely before finally speaking. "His name is Atticus, he's the one that destroyed our city!" she growled before turning and running off.

I looked around to see that the city around us looked far from being destroyed. Honestly, it looked like it was thriving, there were many ponies trotting about buying and selling their wares, but then something caught my eye. "Do these ponies look strange at all to you?" I asked Colgate.

Colgate stared at some of the passing ponies and at first remained silent. "It looks like their missing something..., but I can't put my hoof on it" she told me.

"Their missing a spark..." I said while I started walking through the crowds of ponies. I walked over to a specific pony who was sitting on a bench next to the vendor.

"Hello" I said to what was a lime green mare.

She looked at me strangely, "hello."

"What did you have for breakfast yesterday?" I asked her. Colgate turned to me and gave me a strange look. _I know what I'm doing _I_'_thought in reply.

"Hay omelet" she said, nonchalantly answering the question.

"Do you sit here often?" was my next question.

"Once a day every day" was her reply. I nodded in confirmation.

"What are you thinking right this second?" I finally asked her.

This time she stared blankly at me. "...I don't understand" was her short reply.

"What are you thinking right this second" I repeated.

She looked puzzled as if i had just asked her the hardest question known to man. "I can't answer"" she told me again before getting up and leaving us alone.

"...That was creepy" Colgate finally said to me.

"That's why you don't eat the local cuisine" I half joked with her.

"Why is everypony acting so different?" Colgate asked me.

"I'm not sure, but I know how we can find out" I said excitedly as I started to roam through the back streets of Canterlot.

"Where are we going now?" Colgate asked me as she followed closely behind.

"Where all the information in Equestria is located" I said excitedly speeding up to a trot.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Colgate asked me.

"Now you're getting it" I said back as i finally reached a tall building that had withstood the test of time.

"Is this... a library?" Colgate asked me looking at the oak doors on the building that unlike the others wasn't 'upgraded' to glass.

"Welcome to the biggest library in Equestria" I said with a tight smile as I pushed open the doors. The library was very different from what it was in the past. The library was still in the shape of a large tower with the shelves outlining the walls. In the middle sat alone desk, adjacent to it stood a giant hourglass of purple sand continuously falling.

"What is this place" Colgate said in awe as she looked at the millions of books.

"This is the archives, when you need information this is where you find it." I said happily as I trotted toward the desk in the middle of the library.

"Shouldn't this place be guarded or something?" Colgate asked me worriedly looking around.

"...It should be... that's not good..." I mumbled aloud as I started to pace around the shelves.

"If there is no guard posted here, then Atticus must think that none of the records in here could harm him in any way..." I said aloud as I looked around more until I found what I was looking for. Up in the corners of the room were small black spheres attached to the walls.

"Wave to the cameras" I said grimly staring at the black spheres. Colgate turned awkwardly to see the black spheres.

"He can see us?" Colgate asked paranoid.

"More than that, he can hear us. Even if he could see us though, he still doesn't care if anyone comes in here" I noted as I started to look through the sides of the books in the shelves.

"What are you looking for?" Colgate asked me noting that I was looking at the titles of the books.

"If you were a corrupt leader, why leave open the accords to all the histories that have happened?" I asked her. I finally picked up one book and opened it. The book was tittled "Genesis." I flipped through it. Originally the book was meant as a keepsake to illustrate how the two princesses came in to power after the chaotic times of Discord...However, what this book says was completely different. I started to laugh.

"So that's why your not worried about us in here!" I said aloud speaking to the cameras. Colgate rushed over with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Colgate asked quickly, looking at the book on the floor.

"This book is called Genesis, it's supposed to describe how the princesses were able to overcome the tyranny and turn Equestria in to a relatively carefree place. This book however, states that the sisters trapped the true ruler 'Atticus' for many years, before Atticus was able to escape and replace the 'dictator like' sisters" I laughed as I finished my sentence.

Colgate stared at me a little confused. "So he changed it...?" she asked me, staring back at the book. "Why is that a big deal?"

"It's a huge deal, 'he who controls the past, controls the future,' he rewrites these books to make him look like he's the good guy, so he can gather support from the masses.

"So all these books... were changed and edited?" Colgate asked.

"Maybe not every book, but the ones that would incriminate 'his majesty,' definitely."

"So what do we do now?" she asked me as she looked through the bindings. "None of these books are useful if they all hold false information."

"I said the books that would incriminate him, would have been changed..." I looked through the the shelves stopping at one book in particular. "For instance, why would you want to change something as simple as when you came in to power?"

"How would knowing when he came in to office help us?" Colgate asked me. "That wouldn't answer how we can take him down"

"It doesn't answer how we can take him down, but it could give us insight in to a question that's been bugging me..." I said as I opened the book.

"And that question would be?" Colgate asked as she began to open a few books at randomly settling one about the mood inducing apples.

"How he came in to power" I finally flipped to the page that I had been looking for. "Twenty years... almost to the day" I said aloud as I closed he book.

"Twenty years?" Colgate asked me slowly staring intently at a specific page int he book she was reading.

"Yeah... you got something?" I asked her as I stepped closer.

"No... Well... maybe. There are a bunch of different types of mood inducing apples, but one type of apple was never put in vendors to sell, and was introduced just a little over twenty years ago." Colgate said to me reading on the information.

"Who are you two?" a voice rang from the front of the library. We both turned panicked to see an orange pony with a black mane and tail, whom had what appeared to be a metal brace around her neck.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my trustee assistant Colgate" I said introducing both of us.

"How are you two... able to put all of this together? The orange pony asked with an awed expression on her face.

"That must mean we're right!" I then turned to Colgate, "good job Watson!"

"Why am I Watson?"

"You think you would be Holmes?" I asked, intentionally holding a shocked look on my face.

The mare at the entrance looked at us with a mixture of awe and puzzlement. "Listen you two! My name is Kara, I ran here to see who was in here before the robots come."

Now it was our turn to have confused looks on our faces.

She looked over her shoulder every few seconds becoming very anxious. She then heaved a sigh, "you two need to leave now! I'll turn myself in, which should give you some time to escape. Doctor... Colgate you two please head to where the tallest glass building is... in the alley way adjacent to it, there is a sewer hole, go through there and please talk to the ponies inside... we could really use your help." she said all of this without taking a breath and before waiting for our reply ran back out the door shouting "I'm part of the resistance catch me if you can!"

"Is this when we take our leave?" Colgate asked me.

"Stage right" I confirmed as we trotted out of the old building and rushed back in to town.

The town still held the emptiness as before, but after seeing the cameras in the library I could easily spot them throughout the town as well. The town was covered in them ranging from the rooftops to the windowsills.

"So we're heading to the sewer place?" Colgate asked me, looking around for the tall glass building.

"We don't have much choice the cameras probably have hundreds of pictures of us by now..." I said as I look from one camera to the next. "Atticus is probably looking for us, and we'll need to find out more information before we can do anything about this." I thought aloud as I started to walk toward the ponyhole in the alleyway.

As we neared the ponyhole covering, Colgate lifted it up with her power and we dropped in. The inside was nothing like you would picture. It was illuminated by lamps placed around a solid steel door that looked sanitary without it standing out too much.

I walked up to the door and bit on the handle and tried to pull to no avail.

"Locked?" Colgate asked concerned. I only nodded in confirmation. "Do you have a gadget to fix that?" she laughed.

"Actually I do." I said to her as I nuzzled in to my bag and pulled out a long silver device with what appeared to be a flashing green button on the top. I held the device in my mouth and pointed it at the door handle. I then looked back at Colgate... "I would take a step back if I was you" I told her.

"Why?" she said a twinge of fear in her voice.

"Because I haven't used this nifty device in a while, and its been known to cause explosions when I knew how to use it" I said calmly, as I pointed it at the door handle and bit down on a button. There was no explosion no flashy display just an audible chink that signified that the door was now unlocked.

"I love it when I'm lucky" I laughed. I placed the device back in my bag and pulled open the door.

Colgate held a face that read of shock, awe, and annoyance. _I hope the awe is more prevalent,_ was my only thought seeing her face.

"You going to explain what that was or am I supposed to know" she said finally.

"Not knowing is half the fun" I joked. "It's called the sonic screwdriver, nice little device to have in a fight or when a pesky door is in the way." I finally said, seeing her face grow annoyed after my first comment.

"Excuse me..." a voice said breaking up my explanation. I turned to see a gruff red colt that held what appeared to be a canon on his back.

"Why hello there" I said with a flashy grin.

"Doctor what is that on his back?" Colgate whispered to me.

"That is called an energy canon and a perfect example" I said as I pulled out the sonic screwdriver.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE" the red pony finally yelled. I aimed the screwdriver at his gun and bit down on a button. the green button on the top of the screwdriver blinked once, and the canon on the colt's back fell apart at once.

"Now that you don't have a big scary gun to intimidate us, we would be very happy if you could tell us what was going on"' I said happily. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Colgate giving herself a face hoof.

"Sure okay..." the red colt started before swiping a hoof across my face. "Was that what you were expecting me to say? Who are you two anyway!" he yelled at me.

Before the red colt could attack me again their came a shout, "Rex stop it!" The voice that said it was a feminine voice. Out came the black mare that we saw earlier. She still wore the strange contraption that looked like a white brace that extended down her neck. Rex, as the red colt was called, also wore a similar brace extending down his neck. These braces appeared exactly the same as the one Kara had, had.

"Who are you?" The black mare said referring to me.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is my assistant Colgate" I told the two.

"Doctor what?" She asked me.

"Just call me the Doctor" I replied.

"And what do you want with me Doctor" She said with hints of malice.

"Some food for us would be nice, I'm famished, no apples though, apples are rubbish. Oh some information about a mare named Kara, and information about why documents are falsified, ponies don't think, and were under constant surveillance would be nice... you know if you're not busy" I said sarcasm dripping off of my words.

She turned to me suspiciously. "KARA SENT YOU? That stupid girl! We're not supposed to give the location to anyone!" she said angrily before finally calming down. "How are you two able to rationally think anyway?"

I turned to Colgate. "Told you chess was beneficial" I joked with a smile. After seeing Colgate's eyes roll with amusement I turned to the black mare to address the question seriously. "Do you know what caused the loss of thought?" I asked the black mare.

"The food, in the food there is a natural depressant, which allows the creation of new memories, but allows no formal thought processing." The black mare stated as if from a textbook.

"That's why, we haven't eaten the food here..., we come from somewhere far away" I said to the black pony.

She looked awkwardly at me. "How have you not starved to death after this whole time?"

"So you would remember what you had for dinner, but you can't form an actual thought?" Colgate asked beside me, trying to hurriedly change the conversation... it worked.

The black mare simply nodded at the comment.

"How did this start?" I asked the black mare.

"Well 'Fatticus' suddenly popped up in politics about twenty-five years ago, and suddenly everyone else in politics vanished twenty years ago leaving him as the only one in charge."

"That matches up with our theory" I mumbled lowly.

"What?" She asked me hearing my mumbling.

"Nothing and what happened to Celestia?" I asked.

"She just disappeared when he came on top, wasn't she a great princess" the black mare said sarcastically.

I nodded trying to process the information. _If this is true, this is a big problem,_ I thought to myself. "Who are you?" I asked the black mare.

"Call me Julia" she said simply.

"And that brace is what protects you, I'm assuming? I asked her.

"NO MORE QUESTIONS" Rex suddenly voiced beside us. He had been strangely quiet throughout this whole conversation. The red pony looked mad, he probably wasn't used to sharing so much information with strangers.

"Calm down, Kara must have thought these ponies could help us if she told them where we were, so we should give them the benefit of the doubt." Julia said to Rex. This shocked me, her tone implied she knew more than she was letting on. "Just go on in and talk with the other members." Julia said before Rex quietly went in.

"So Time Lords, are you going to help us?" Julia asked.

Silence and tension envelope the area and I felt like my jaw hit the floor.

"Maybe I should cover my cutie mark..." Colgate said breaking the silence. I gave a sigh in agreement.

"How do you know we are Time Lords?" I asked her.

"Stories used to be passed around about ponies who traveled through time, and who held unimaginable skills. The fact that you're still thinking without our equipment, and the fact that Kara so easily gave you the knowledge of our whereabouts proves it." Julia looked as if she was getting excited by the last part. "It's true right?"

"What does Kara giving us the information have to do with being Time Lords?" Colgate asked so only I could hear.

"It typically gives you a natural aura of affability" I said to Colgate. "People are typically more trusting with us than they should be sometimes." then I turned my attention back to Julia. "What did you want us to do?" I finally asked her.

"I want you to help us infiltrate the castle" Julia said motioning toward the brilliantly white castle.

"That's where he is I'm assuming?" I asked her.

"Yep that's where the overlord of doughnuts resides" Julia said annoyed in spite of her joke. "So will you help us?" she asked us, with hope filled eyes. No sooner did she ask did a siren fill the town. I cringed as the siren screeched at my ears.

"What is that?" Colgate asked, cringing as well.

"It's the signal for town meetings... come on!" she beckoned to us, as she raced out of the sewer. We trotted after her not sure what we were getting into.

Out on the main street of Canterlot where hundreds of ponies staring at a completely white stage save for one gigantic brown pegasus on the stage. I looked at the body of this pony who was on stage and couldn't help cracking up laughing. He was a deep brown pony that was sitting on a hovering chair. He had a wingspan of maybe four feet, but his wings looked like they were almost consumed completely by his fat. He was at the very least three meters wide. Why are these ponies so scared of this pony who looked like he couldn't lift his own hoof?

What was almost just as noteworthy as the fat pony himself was a pony beside him that was completely made out of white metal. His eyes even from here were crimson colored. That robot must have been how this colt has managed to stay in power.

"Hello all my faithful subjects" Atticus said with a broad smile. Almost everypony in the crowd started to clap their hoofs sporadically. "Today is the day for another execution" he mumbled happily, as his robot beside him dragged an unconscious pony from behind the stage.

"Oh no..." Julia mumbled quietly as an orange mare with a black mane was dragged on to the stage.

"What's going on?" Colgate whispered.

I couldn't answer her; I just stared at the stage. Kara was dragged on to the stage still having her metallic brace wrapped around her neck.

"This pony has been named a member of the resistance" Atticus mumbles loudly. Almost everypony in the street booed loudly at that comment. "Since she couldn't embrace the wonderful pleasures of this world alive, she'll experience it dead" Atticus mumbled again. I looked to my right where Julia stood to see her face misshapen in anger. However, the rest of the crowd started to applaud loudly at the remark. I looked back on the stage to see the mechanical pony starting to shove the orange pony awake.

The orange pony finally stood up groggy. "Kill her" Atticus said.

Julia looked away in horror, and started to trot away from the scene.

I looked around to see each pony staring intently at the stage with a smile on their face. "Has so much changed since this pony came into power?" rang through my mind. "_...Something has to be done.._." I thought with a grim smile.

I turned to Colgate. "How do you feel about bringing down the government?" I asked her. A smile slid on her face.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked me.

"Oh you know... the usual fun stuff"

"I'm game" she told me.

"Good, it's time for a revolution!" I yelled aloud causing a few of the ponies around us to stir. My cutie mark began to glow defiantly against the world without thought. Suddenly there was no more applause from the ponies around us... only mannequin like ponies around us and the ponies on the stage. "Allons~y!" I shouted as we rushed through the crowd.

Within half a minute of shoving and pushing we arrived on the stage where Atticus and his mechanical pony stood.

"Let's get Kara out of the way first" I said to Colgate who nodded quickly and dragged the orange pony off the stage.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice said breaking the silence that we were used to in the paused time. It made us freeze in shock. I looked to see that the voice had come from Atticus who was sitting comfortably on his chair looking at us with a broad smile on his face.

"Time Lords... haven't seen any of your kind since the war about twenty years ago." he said to me and Colgate. He laughed at our dumbfounded faces. "Oh you two must not know..." he reached his hoof down his chair and pulled out a piece of wood, specifically a blue piece of wood, more precisely a blue piece of wood that belonged to a phone box. Even more specifically, it was a piece of wood from my TARDIS. "I didn't actually think this small piece of trash would protect me from being paused." he said this to himself more so than to us.

"Doctor, what is that?" Colgate asked.

"T-that's a piece of a TARDIS..." I said in disbelief.

"Why does it prevent him from stopping?" Colgate asked with a worried look on her face.

"I could give you some long explanation dealing with tachyon particles and worm holes, but you just need to know that the TARDIS has similar properties to us, so its prevented from being stopped in time. That's part of the reason it's able to travel through time" I told her taking a few steps away from Atticus.

"Correct, and who are you to try and screw up my excellent execution."

"I'm the Doctor, this is Colgate, and we're here to bring down the government" I said with a tight smile.

"Oh well then this could be problematic for you" Atticus said as his chair hovered over to the mechanical pony beside him. "Because if you try, your going to die" he said as he grabbed another piece of blue wood held in his chair and fed it to the mechanical pony. The machine instantly came alive, its crimson eyes looking even more dangerous then before.

"Well this isn't good" I said as I took out my sonic screwdriver. The machine dashed at us at quick speeds. I sidestepped it quickly managing to push Colgate out of the way as well. The metal hoofs screeched as he changed directions.

"You have a plan?" Colgate asked from behind me.

"I always have a plan" I told her.

"Mind sharing it" Colgate told me, as the robotic pony loomed closer.

"You'll be the first I share it with, when I come up with it" I told her.

"Kill them" Atticus' voice rang. The machine charged at us again. I sidestepped out of its way, aiming my sonic screwdriver at its hind leg. "_Please work"_ rang through my mind. In answer the machine tripped over itself and fell on the ground. Suddenly I started hearing a slow applause... Why was I hearing applause? I turned to the crowd to see them slowly coming back to life.

"Don't have as much control over time as you thought you did, did you?" Atticus said to me in his chair.

"Well this is a new record length of time for me" I laughed aloud as the robot charged at me again. I pressed down on the button again and the robot fell over itself once more. Suddenly the slow applause that I had heard was now replaced with steady boos. I turned and saw that time was no longer paused at all. Some of the ponies in the front row were starting to climb up the stage looking at me and Colgate with hate. Kara had run away. _Well many ponies would have done the same thing_ I thought to myself as I faced the machine again.

"Well I'm growing bored of this tug of war Doctor. Kill him now Beta" The robot's eyes began to glow a deep crimson and solid red laser beams shot out of his eyes. I rolled out of the way barely avoiding being fried. The robot walked closer to me ready to shoot again, but Colgate rushed it from the side tackling it off the stage and in to the crowd. It raised itself and jumped back on to stage. Its eyes grew crimson once more ready to finish both of us.

"Need some help?" came a voice from behind us. As soon as me and Colgate looked back a small black oval flew beside us and hit the robot. On impact an explosion occurred destroying the metal pony.

"...An explosion...why didn't I think of that?" I said aloud as I looked to see Julia and about six other ponies who shared the same neck brace. Kara was among them offering a smiling gratitude to the both of us.

"So you all choose to fight me now?" Atticus said looking at the remains of his metal pony. "You want a war? I'll give you a war!" He shouted before reaching and pressing a button on his chair. Suddenly there was an audible turning of gears as the entrance of the castle showed hundreds of similar metal ponies. Atticus heaved a giant laugh before his bike hovered him toward the castle.

"How can we win against that?" Colgate whimpered.

"We fight" Julia said stepping up beside me.

"No, we cheat" I told her as I started walking toward the castle.

"What do you mean Doctor?" Julia asked me.

"He holds the switch for these ponies, we all saw him press it. If we can take it and deactivate it, then bye-bye army" I said with a smile beginning to form on my lips.

"So what do you propose?" Julia asked.

"Colgate and I will go confront Atticus and find the kill switch, and you and your team try to fend off the army and this crowd", I said simply. She nodded before returning to her team.

"Will they be able to handle this?" Colgate asked me.

"You should be worrying about us. They have weapons and training, and we have an exhausted time lord with an inexperienced one...This is going to be fun" I said rushing toward the castle with my faithful assistant behind me.

The robot ponies turned toward us as we passed them, but they were distracted by the bombs being flung by the resistance.

Soon we were past all the metal ponies and had reached the oak doors that led to the inside of the castle. Some of the ponies realizing that we had made it past them turned toward us. I hurriedly pushed against the doors of the castle closing us off from the robots.

The castle looked much different than it had at the gala so many years before. It was lined with glass and machines and cogs everywhere. In the center of the foyer was Atticus staring into a monitor. "You two sure came here quickly" He said not even bothering to look at us.

"I suppose you're here because of this" He said this while picking up a remote. that held two small black buttons on it. "How do you suppose on getting it?"

"Well... the old fashioned way of asking please doesn't seem like it'll work.." I said sarcastically as we started to close the gaps between us and Atticus.

"True enough, its sad that I cannot simply get rid of you by the same means as I did to the cabinet here." Atticus said as if remembering a fond memory.

"What apple did you introduce that cemented your control?" I asked in a quiet voice, but he still managed to hear me.

"Ah I can't denounce the intelligence of a Time Lord! It was a fantastic creation! The Apple of Bliss! They took one bite and they were all in a mass euphoria! After that, all I had to do was throw them in the dungeon and keep them on a steady flow of the apple so they don't become a problem for me" He said this with a smile on his face.

"Why not just kill them?" Colgate asked beside me.

Atticus stifled a laugh. "You are no politician, in order to cement control you have to have complete love from the masses. Vaporize too many ponies and somepony's bound to get even more suspicious... So if I can convert a rebellious pony into a minion of mine, than I am more likely to remain in control than if I were to simply kill them."

"And you use the previous cabinet to do this... how?" I asked him.

"With the bliss apple in their system they'll simply say whatever I tell them too. Why do they care? They're in utter happiness! So once a pony hears from the government before that this government is so much better, they succumb

.

"You're a horrible pony... Give me that control!" I yelled at the fat pony.

"So... Doctor, wouldn't you rather play a game first?" The words felt like ice sliding my back.

"The Master was here!" was my quick response.

"It's been years since he's been here!" Atticus cackled as he turned to face us. "The last day I saw the Master was the day before I became ruler of Equestria. Bumping Celestia off the throne was sooo much easier because of him." He said this with a deep smile.

"What did he tell you?" I yelled at him.

"He told me that when a tanned pony named the Doctor comes with a blue and white toothpaste colored assistant to give them this" Atticus said as he lifted a cube from his desk. The cube held many different insignias on it. Atticus threw the box on to the ground. The box then began to change shape. It changed from a small cube about six inches high to a life sized pony. The pony was pitch black with green insignias showing up on its body like veins.

"Colgate, don't even try to fight this thing" I told her.

"What is it?" she asked me.

"No idea" I said with a mixture of excitement and fear in my voice.

"I'll go get that remote" Colgate whispered to me before running around the new pony. The black pony paid no attention to her; I was its full focus.

"Well... ready to dance?" I asked the black pony. It gave a curt nod before walking toward me. Before I knew it I felt a hoof to my face and I was rolling on the ground.

"Okay... so you're fast" I said aloud as I saw the pony looming closer to me. In the background I could see Colgate attacking Atticus for his remote. The poor fat pony couldn't protect himself without his machines, and his last machine didn't care if he died. Pity. The black pony rushed at me again, this time I rolled to the side barely avoiding another swipe from its hoof. I aimed my sonic screwdriver prepared to wear the strange pony down. The pony charged at me and I bit down on the button. The black pony rushed at me and I rolled to the side again aiming the sonic screwdriver at its leg, except this time its leg didn't falter. The black pony twisted quickly and swiped me again with its hoof. I was sent backwards barely being able to hold my balance on my legs.

I rushed towards the black pony my legs barely holding my own weight. I took a swipe at its face, but it suddenly disappeared from where I was aiming and reappeared behind me. The black pony then hit me in the gut with one of its hoofs. I crumbled to the floor gasping. I picked myself up under its watchful eye and charged forward again. It raised it hoof for another swift attack and I rolled to the side and attempted to tackle it. It disappeared again and reappeared behind me before swiping me in the face once again.

I started to pant in exhaustion. It swiped a hoof against my face again sending me off balance, and then delivered another punch in to my chest knocking me on the ground. Finally the black pony picked me up with one of its hoofs and held me against a wall. Its eyes began to glow a translucent green, steady beams of energy shot from the eyes and narrowly missed my ducked head. "Not good, not good, not good!" I managed to barely croak out because the pony's hoof was now tight around my neck.

"I was told you'd put up more of a fight" a voice came from the pony. It was a strange, static-like voice that seemed unfitting for the pony.

I stared at the pony awkwardly. _"What do I do?"_ echoed through my mind millions of times. Only one answer came back. _"Do the impossible."_ I closed my eyes. A silver pocket watch was the only thing that appeared in my mind's eye. The pocket watch opened to reveal the clock face. The minute hand went at normal speed, and eventually started to gain speed. Soon enough it was zooming around the clock face. I opened my eyes to See Colgate yelling my name, to see Atticus trying to push off, and I saw the black pony in front of me stare at me strangely.

"_You got to love a Deus Ex Machina" _ I whispered happily. My cutie mark shined brightly before enveloping me and the black pony. I felt the grip abate and I fell to the ground sitting on my hind legs. When the light faded, there was simply a pile of ash standing where the pony had once stood.

Fighting unconsciousness I stood up and saw Colgate had managed to steal the remote from a shocked Atticus. She quickly smashed the remote sending electrical shocks to go through all the monitors.

"NO!" Atticus yelled at the two of us. "This wasn't supposed to happen! You both were supposed to die!" Atticus yelled at us. He tried to scramble out of his chair to avail. Finally he fell out of his chair. Finally he tried to flap his wings in order to escape to no avail.

"You have to weigh a couple tons, do you think you can take off?" Colgate asked, exhaustion and happiness showing off on her face. I limped towards her and had to catch myself before falling once I reached her.

"I'll get you two for this!" Atticus yelled trying to scramble and pull himself up.

"No you won't" A new voice said. Colgate and I both looked up to see a familiar white alicorn standing on top of a nearby stair case. She turned to face us. "This was one of the last places I expected to see you two again" she said with a small smile. Even through the relief of seeing the princess again, she looked different...

_Probably the after effects of the bliss apple_ rang one of my thoughts.

We both stood in shocked silence as Celestia walked toward Atticus. "Don't hurt me" He squealed trying to move but failing to do so. She placed her horn on him and a blinding light flooded my eyes, and when the light faded all that was left was a statue of the mighty Fatticus.

She turned to us. "Thank you both for your help in this matter. I should have seen it coming with the introduction of the new fruits that he was constantly pushing. Soon enough everyone here, including Luna and I were addicted to that bliss apple." she said the last parts with pure malice.

"How did you manage to get here so fast?" I asked Celestia.

"I was talking with an orange mare that was captured. She told me that she helped save a brown 'Doctor' and a blue and white 'assistant,' I figured it could only be you two, so I instantly started to to avoid at all cost eating the apples, and once you two destroyed the remote we were set free and I could rush here to help out in any way I could.

"Well it's over with now" Colgate said with a smile. She then turned to me and awe had come across her face. "What did you do to that black pony?" she asked.

"I-I aged him to ash" was my only response. It was still hard for me to believe that it had just happened, but the exhaustion I felt because of it was tremendous.

"What an impressive feat" Celestia said with genuine awe in her voice. Suddenly the front doors opened to reveal Julia and Kara.

"You two did it!" Kara yelled at us excitedly. Finally the two of them saw Celestia standing by us.

"Your majesty?" Julia said in shock at seeing the white alicorn. Celestia gave a broad smile before turning back to us.

"Thank you two so much for your help, I can handle it from here. Feel free to rest for a few days before leaving." Celestia said smiling.

"That would be gre-" Colgate started.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but we need to get to the TARDIS now" I panted out. My vision was starting to blur, and my legs felt numb. Colgate seeing how I looked readily agreed.

"I can take you there then, its the least I can do" Celestia said with sincerity. I nodded reluctantly. Time began to blur together. There were congratulations, applause by the resistance, gratitude by the cabinet and the other six members, but I hardly remember any of it. Before I knew it, Celestia was bringing us toward the base of the mountain where we had set down from the TARDIS.

"What's Ponyville like?" Colgate asked as we were flown further away from Canterlot. Celestia remained strangely quiet at the question.

"Ponyville was destroyed a while back..." Celestia said somberly. Colgate was stunned in to silence, but I noticed something on the ground where Ponyville used to be. It was a slab of stone, yet it seemed to have my attention repeatedly gravitate towards it.

"Can we go down there for a second?" I asked groggily.

Celestia gave a small nod and flew us and the chariot attached to her down to the remains of Ponyville. As soon as we landed I hopped off the small chariot and landed on the ground my knees buckling almost giving in.

"Are you okay?" Colgate asked me, but I paid no attention to it.

_Why am i so drawn to this slab of stone?_ was the only thought in my mind. As soon as I reached the stone I realized why. The slab of stone was a grave marker... Exhaustion had caught up with me, but not before reading the grave marker;

"Here lies the Doctor, his death saved time."

And then everything went black.


End file.
